FSB

BIG SMALL CHRISTMASNETWORKING

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has launched a free UK-wide networking event for small businesses to connect during the festive season and they’re looking for Cornish businesses to take part. with other businesses. But just as important, it will be great fun and a way to reflect on all the brilliant things that small businesses have achieved, despite the many pressures they have faced over the last 20 months.”

Taking place on December 15, FSB is aiming to set a record – connecting the largest number of small businesses ever at an FSB online event. Hosted virtually over Zoom, our “Big Small Business Networking UK” event is open to all small and medium sized businesses and sole traders from across the UK. Attendees of the event will also be joined by FSB national chair, Mike Cherry, as well as surprise celebrity guests who will be announced closer to the day. One lucky networker will also win a hamper full of luxury goods from FSB member businesses, with the winner randomly selected at the event.

East of England regional chair, David Bell, who will be joint host on the day, said: “The event will be an ideal opportunity to network To register for the free event, visit fsb.org.uk/event-calendar.

CONFIDENCE LEVELS FALLING

Data from FSB’s latest quarterly ‘Small Business Index’ shows confidence levels among smaller firms in the south west has fallen by 20% since the summer amid concerns over rising costs, labour shortages and sluggish consumer demand. The south west has also gone from being one of the most optimistic areas for SMEs earlier in the year to being below the national average.

The regional respondents to the FSB poll said that the general economic conditions in the UK and getting appropriately skilled staff were the greatest perceived barriers to growth over the coming 12 months and more than one in ten south west businesses have said they intend to downsize, sell or close the business in the next year. Cornwall-based, Craig Carey-Clinch, the FSB’s south west regional policy unit representative said the figures reflect what is a very unclear picture for the region’s thousands of small businesses.

“As we enter what many businesses are telling us could be an uncertain and unpredictable winter, it is understandable to see that confidence among our south west FSB members has fallen,” he said.

“These figures show that concerns about increasing business and utility costs, shortages of both staff and materials, uncertain consumer demand and the fear of further cost rises are now starting to dent some of the positive feelings we saw in the region earlier in the year.”

SMEs NOT YET PREPARED FOR NET ZERO CHALLENGE

Two-thirds of small businesses in the south west do not currently have an active plan to reduce their impact on the environment according to the latest report by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). Regional data, gathered by FSB, reveals that although the majority of south west SMEs accept the planet is facing a climate crisis, many feel they need more support and grant funding to be able to play their part in helping their business to deal with it.

In fact, over 60% of small businesses in the region say that grants or low interest loans to help install energy efficiency measures would encourage them to make changes and nearly four in ten say a reduction in their tax bill would also be a key factor to help get moving on a net zero path. Despite not many businesses having a formal plan to reduce their carbon impact, encouragingly, the majority of businesses surveyed are already taking some active steps to make their business more energy efficient, improve recycling and waste management. However, green transport issues are seen as more of a problem. The cost of electric vehicles is seen as a ‘barrier to change’ by more than half of survey respondents and only 10% of south west businesses said they had a workplace charging point for EVs.

It is not all bad news, however. Compared to the same period last year, confidence has improved greatly, net revenue figures among regional businesses are continuing to rise and FSB members are still more likely to recruit new staff than reduce their staffing numbers.

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